1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a multi color wire marker, and in particular, for marking mono colored insulated wire with hot foil colored tape.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is often desirable in the electric cable industry to have insulated electrical wires with specific markings that distinguish one insulated wire from another. This is especially so, if confusion is to be avoided when connecting different electrical devices with electrical conductors stemming from the same cable harness. One of the most effective means of distinguishing between wires is to mark them with different colors.
Cable harness leads are often prepared by an automated process whereby a cable making machine, for example, feeds electrical conducting wires from a barrel, cutting the various wires into their required lengths and terminating the ends by crimping to a connector or leaving the ends free. Some automated cable makers feed simultaneously from a multitude of barrels that have different colored electrical conducting wires, and there is therefore no need to mark the wire during preparation of the lead. A more cost effective way, however, of producing leads is to use a cable making machine that feeds off only one barrel of mono colored electrical conducting wire. This means however, that if distinguishable marking is required on the various wires of a lead, then some sort of marking process must be coupled to the lead maker.
There are many ways of preparing color marked leads, one common way being the use of hot foil tape, whereby a meltable colored product mounted on foil tape is deposited on the wire with heat and pressure. In presently designed color marking machines the wire is moved to the corresponding color station for marking. This movement of the wire required for marking makes it impossible for the wire to be simultaneously marked and prepared in the lead maker. Simultaneous preparation of the lead and coloring of the respective wires would be advantageous as it reduces the cycle time required to produce the lead.